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DRAW NOT ENOUGH FOR BANGOR
When
Bangor's left back Jervis Fleming scored with the final touch of New
Year's Eve's game against Cookstown the celebrations would have suggested
they had won, or at the very least progressed to the semi-finals of the
Anderson Cup.
Neither was the case and Flerming's exuberant performance after his tap-in
was probably due more to the fact he rarely scores outside of training.
Bangor had managed to come back from three goals down to draw with
Cookstown but had needed to beat the Co Tyrone team if they wanted a place
in the Anderson Cup semi-final, so the admirable fightback was a bitter
spill to swallow as the side head into 2006.
It was one of Bangor's most bizarre performances of a bizarre season as
they appeared comfortably better than Cookstown in many aspects of the
game but still contrived to hand their visitors a three goal lead.
Bangor could have been one goal to the good after just 20 seconds when a
clever steal by Jamie McAuley set up Mark Daniel but his well struck shot
was saved by Hughes at point blank range.
Following that Bangor still dominated possession, territory and penalty
corners but lacked that vital cutting edge as too many passes were
misplaced. They paid for this when a lighting quick Cookstown
counter-attack that began in their own left hand corner gave Irish
international Andy Barbour a simple opportunity that he doesn't miss.
The Seasiders again then strung together a number of good moves but were
left with nothing to show for them as half-time approached. With just two
minutes to the interval another defensive lapse gave Cookstown a penalty
corner and despite the initial shot being well saved by John Tormey a
rebound opportunity fell to Barbour and he fired it back with interest to
make it 2-0 at the break.
As if that wasn't bad enough Bangor then allowed the talented Keith Black
to waltz through their defence in the opening exchanges of the second
period and make it 3-0 and bury their hopes of a second semi-final
appearance this season.
Cookstown thought they were home and dry but they hadn't bet on one thing
that never desserts this Bangor side - their character.
They seemed dead and buried but as Cookstown sat back Bangor threw
everything at them and Hughes had to make a number of sharp saves. He
stopped Jeremy Macafee three times in succession at close range and Chris
Campbell also saw a goal bound effort pushed away.
With hope ebbing away it took an opportunist strike from ace poacher
Gareth Morton to lift the Bangor side in the final stages. Daniel carried
the ball a full 50 yards to the Cookstown circle and once there his clever
pass found Simon Hunter who pushed the ball across the goal for Morton to
pounce and finally beat Hughes.
This seemed to supercharge the centre forward and with six minutes left he
pinched the ball from a defender, beat another at the top of the circle
and then thrashed the ball into the bottom right corner to make it 3-2.
Game on.
Bangor now had their tail up and were throwing everything as Cookstown
appeared content to hold onto their lead knowing it would be enough. Even
Gareth Kidd kept appearing high up the pitch, operating as a right winger
in the closing stages.
Young Ricky McMillen came on in the second half at right back and
continued his good progress despite the obvious tension that everyone was
under in the closing stages.
With just seconds on the clock Hunter was fouled on the left wing and a
penalty corner given. The final whistle sounded but Bangor were allowed to
take the set-piece. Daniel's initial shot was saved but good work by Dowie
Holley kept the ball in play and from his cross Hughes, yet again, saved
from Morton and Campbell before the ball squirted out to Fleming and he
gratefully touched it home before ripping his shirt off in celebration.
The three goal comeback wasn't enough to send Bangor threw to the semi
finals but it did illustrate what the team are capable of when they focus
and apply themselves. If it had been a knock-out cup game it would have
progressed to extra-time and Bangor would definitely have had the edge
because they finished so much stronger.
But that was not the case and Bangor would never have found themselves in
that position if they had concentrated throughout the game and not just
the last third.
The side now enter a difficult month which may only contain one game due
to Ireland commitments and crashing out of the Irish Cup. It will be
important they still maintain a degree of intensity in training and hit
their straps as soon as the competitive games begin in 2006.
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